Eliza Hamilton: The Extraordinary Life and Times of the Wife of Alexander Hamilton

This is such a readable smooth flowing book that it could qualify as a Young Adult book. It does not fall squarely in that division but it could. So readable that I found it hard to stop reading. I was prompted to even look for a book about Elizabeth because I knew she lost a young adult child who had been wounded in a duel. I had to imagine what a difficult life this could be for a woman, with a husband as complicated as Alexander Hamilton. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was devoted as much as personality would allow to his wife - not nearly the image that I got from the musical 'Hamilton,' though! Life for the very privileged (and she was, oh boy) did not protect them from drama and danger.The issue of slavery is ever present in books about the American past. Imagine being protected by your mother's favorite slave (his name was 'Prince') so that you had that guardian angel on a journey with you! A woman such as Elizabeth's mother, Kitty, could end up perennially pregnant. After a dozen pregnancies, having the last child in her late 40s, Kitty was described by the author as having a short temper. Well, I guess! Some may call being pregnant most of your life a sign of passion in your marriage. Not necessarily. Today, women have even more beleaguered, and the single mother is the poorest among us (excepting the homeless.) In those days, I can only imagine what deprivation the single mother had to endure. To become a widow meant losing your children. Family was your safety net, your children went to fathers, uncles, brothers, or whomever in the family was male and could take them. But: off they went. Elizabeth knew this. She did not have a husband who was often home, and he was instead in harm's way, even looking to put himself there. Balance the uncertainty with the cushions that money allowed and the lifestyle her parents afforded her, even when she was no longer living at home. Alexander made sure she had a slave. She traveled here and there to be with friends, Alexander, and family. It was at the very least, an interesting life!

Easy to read non-fiction book. Eliza did amazing things. On the Daughters of the American Revolution Reading list, if that makes a difference. Reads more like fiction.

Loved it, love Eliza & the other strong females in her life! She was a force to be reckoned with always putting her husband and family first. Enjoy!

The story of Eliza Hamilton’s life story is amazing.Positive: you learn so much about her and her familyNegative: my DAR chapter selected this book for our book club. Four of us had purchased the paperback. Come to find out that myself and another members books didn’t have any photos. Two of the other ladies books had photos of Eliza and other family and friends. We compared and the books were printed with the same copyright date 2018 and same paper edition date July 2019. Very disappointing as I would have loved to have had the book containing the photos.

Loved reading this book! It was a quick, easy read I couldn't put down. It reads like a novel. So much interesting information about a lesser known, but important and influential person in history. What an incredible life she lived!

I bought it to read it!

I thoroughly enjoyed learning of Eliza's life. Her story is engaging and this book is well written. I found myself cheering her on when she got angry and grieving for her when she suffered great loss. Such a different time she lived through. She saw the birth of a nation and supported one of its builders. I feel glad to "know" her.

I bought this book on a recommendation because I couldn't concentrate and read the longish "Hamilton" book. This is a better and faster read. Eliza's family is very interesting and the author takes you into her world.

Fab book. Bought for two avid Hamilton fans and they loved them. Great value.

I enjoyed reading Mazzeo’s previous books but I think she outdid herself with this biography of Hamilton that I couldn’t put down as soon as it landed in my kindle. Engaging, well written, and full of unexplored information about the wife of the famous forefather turned Broadway-musical phenomenon, Mazzeo offers her readers a great biography of an important woman in her own rights. Eliza’s achievements went far beyond being a supportive wife, as the wealth of new information put forward in this book makes clear. A must read!

I can't understand how so many people like this book. The author makes up many theories without any proof. It is not biographically written more like a historical fiction. As a historian I'm very disappointed. The whole 'Reynolds Affair' theory was disturbing as the author believed Hamilton's political enemies everything. Even Hamilton's top biographer Ron Chernow would not have liked this kind of statement. Mazzeo obviously didn't read Chernows view on that, which is far more credible.If you are a historian or interested in biographies with much more depth and credibilty as well as historical accuracies, this book cannot be recommended . If you are just a "Hamilton-Musical" fan, you can get by with it.

Great for any Hamilton fan.

This book adds a factual dimension/perspective to the musical "Hamilton".